2014-15-aia-football-sollenberger-azpreps-report-highres

Defending State Champ Bagdad No. 1Pima Not Far BehindBy Jose Garcia, aia365.comAs soon as the team arrived at home after its finalfootball game of the 2013 season, Bagdad partiedlike it was 1952.In 1952, before the Arizona Interscholastic Associationrecognized small school titles, Bagdad won a 6-man championship. The cause for the Nov. 17celebration with fireworks and fans was the 8-manchampionship Bagdad won, but there was anotherreason for the jubilation — Bagdad won its first officialfootball title since the school opened in 1948.It took Bagdad 65 years to get to the mountaintop,and it intends to stay there this year. But Bagdad betterstay on alert.There’s a worthy contender, a very strong and experiencedPima unit, charging up a side of the 8-manmountain. Mogollon, the team Bagdad defeated 44-20 in last year’s title tilt, is right behind.Bagdad, the preseason No. 1 in Sollenberger’s onlinemagazine in D-VI, has embraced the 2014 favoritetag, printing shirts with a big target on the back.“We like our chances to repeat,” said Bagdadcoach Dalton Mills, a Bagdad graduate who left a Valleyfootball program three years ago to help turn hishometown school into a state champion. “But we willsee how we handle having the target on our back.”Like Pima, Bagdad didn’t take long thanking lastyear’s small senior football class for its contribution.But those Bagdad seniors did leave a leadershipand stat void, especially at wide receiver and the defensiveline. This year’s seniors, about 13 players,are qualified to fill the openings and deliver anothertitle, though.The senior class is close, having forged a bond assoon as they started playing on the same teamssince they were about five years old. Two of thoseseniors likely form the best one-two backfield combinationin D-VI, Casey Jeans and fullback JustinPacheco.Despite helping Pima control the clock by rushingfor 1,200 yards while averaging a whopping 13 yardsper carry last year, Jeans was overshadowed byMogollon’s 2,000-yard rushing workhorse, Dallyn Despain,last year. But Bagdad was a more balancedand dominant team.Mills’ squad was so good last year that the 10-0team didn’t punt in a game until the state semifinals.Jeans chewed up yards in bunches thanks in part tothe lanes the strongest player on the team, Pacheco(549 rushing yards, 8 TD’s last year), opened.Bagdad wants its run attack to continue controllingthe clock this season, which should help open up thepassing game for a “super intelligent quarterback,”Tony Juaregui. The senior threw 32 touchdowns andonly one interception in 2013.On defense, Bagdad is home to one of the state’stop defensive ends, Lakin Yargus (6-3, 245). No. 2Pima also returns a bevy of players.Pima has reached at least the state semifinalsevery year since coach Jace Hancock took overthree seasons ago but is still trying to become theking of the hill under Hancock.Like Bagdad, Pima likes the ground and poundgame and returns its starting running backs andquarterback.“It’s time for us,” Hancock said. “We’ve gone deepevery year. I hate to put it on us by saying this is theyear, but I want it to be it.”page 44